Legislature and UO Trustees

11/20/2013: Hannah Hoffman of the Statesman Journal has a report on the latest goings on with the legislature and the UO Board of Trustees appointments, here. For more perspective, read Mrs. Gerlinger’s prescient 1939 letter, here.11/15/2013: OUS Board celebrates “Remember the Hat” day

They’re a little early this year, and boy are they capturing the spirit of this official University of Nike holiday. Two years ago they fired President Lariviere without consulting the UO faculty or Senate. Today they renewed President Gottfredson’s contract until June 30, 2016 without consulting the UO faculty or Senate. What info I can find on Gottfredson’s secret performance review is here. This decision ties the hands of UO’s new Board of Trustees for a full two years past the 7/1/2014 date they take authority. The scene sure brings back some memories:

11/21/2012: Remember the Hat: Lariviere Day is today, Nov 21st

Break out your hats and mark the day. Last year on November 21st OUS Chancellor George Pernsteiner and Board Chair Matt Donegan came down to UO with their ultimatum. Lariviere refused to resign, so they fired him on instructions from Governor Kitzhaber. Nigel Jaquiss broke the news on the 22nd.

Phil Knight said it best:

“It deeply saddens me that some people in power in our state continue to drive Oregon into a death spiral with their embrace of mediocrity. It’s yet another application of Oregon’s Assisted Suicide law.

And in case words aren’t enough Knight’s “Oregonians for Higher Education Excellence” PAC now has more than $400,000 in reserve, ready to buy whatever legislative votes are necessary to get UO its independent board – probably with no faculty representation, unfortunately.

KEZI interview with Kitzhaber and excerpts from the OUS Portland firing meeting:

The Faculty Assembly meeting:

Dr. Pernsteiner has scrubbed the OUS minutes website of any mention of the angry 11/28/2012 public meeting with the OUS board and the UO faculty and alumni. Nice try, but UO has posted the full video on Youtube. Everything except what happened in Paul Kelly’s secret bathroom caucus, right before the official vote:

The museum’s financial problems stem from a decision over a decade ago to issue $90 million in bonds for construction projects that included a subterranean storage center for much of its collection. The museum’s board assumed it could raise enough money through a capital campaign to keep the museum on solid footing.

But when that didn’t happen, it had to begin dipping into its endowment. Finally, in December, the museum announced that it would cut $5 million from its budget — $3 million of that from the science program — and would try to raise its endowment by $100 million.

charlie I don't know if Eisenhower Republicans are real conservatives. All I know is he was a 5 star general, West... – Friday

uomatters The union's financial statements are all posted here: http://uauoregon.org/documents/budget/ . The budget for the coming year is at http://uauoregon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Final-20-21-approved.pdf .... – Thursday

Norma Based on the money coming out of my paycheck each month for dues, I thought the Union was well-funded. Where... – Thursday

don't call me a duck But is Reed a true Scotsman? Does he eat sugar on his porridge? Come on! The conservatives have moved on... – Thursday

uomatters Professor Sinclair, your claim that UO General Counsel Kevin Reed is a conservative is defamatory to all real conservatives, and... – Wednesday